


Misfit

by Toastie_Pan



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Drowning, Gen, Mystical Creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-12-27 04:27:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21112628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toastie_Pan/pseuds/Toastie_Pan
Summary: The Creature is too human to be a deamon, too deamonic to be a human. A misfit in between; alone.





	Misfit

**Author's Note:**

> A Companion piece to my pic for 'Misfit- Inktober day 18'. Pic can be found on my twitter @Toastie_Pan ^.^
> 
> In this Noctis is eleven and only a kid, a kinda pre-brotherhood piece.

Noctis shuffled slowly across the flagstones, his trainers disturbing dust with each careful step. His fingers clutch at his Carbie statue hidden in his shorts pocket, his other hand disturbing dirt from the moss covered grey stones that formed the tunnel he found himself navigating. The only sounds he could parse were his heartbeat and his breaths, both too loud in the echoing darkness. His elbows ached where they were scuffed, his legs too, his head protesting certain movements as he went. The air was cold across his bare arms and legs; his small jacket doing little to alleviate the damp that clung to him. Noctis moved forward resolute, despite his injuries and increasing dread. He was certain if he were dreaming then carbuncle would have come by now, chirping at him and giving warmth and comfort like they had so many times before, showing him the way home and defending him if something went wrong.

Or something found him.

But apparently, this wasn’t to be so simple. He wasn’t dreaming. He had to get home.

Squeezing tightly around the statue with his clammy hand to help push such thoughts away, Noctis carried on, the darkness oppressive to his back, a slight blue hue before him, slowly getting brighter.

Noctis tried not to think how it could be his eyes simply adjusting and there was truly no way out. His breathing came quicker as he sped up as much as he dared, wanting whatever this was to be over.

The dust swirling in the air, highlighting the feeling that he was somewhere he shouldn’t be; somewhere that hadn’t been traversed for many years tickled his nose causing it to scrunch up. He stopped, fear rippling through him.

‘No…nononon-‘

Gripping at his nose and scrunching his eyes shut, Noctis tried desperately to hold in the spasms that tickled his chest, his breath burned in his lung until against his will his sneeze racked through his body violently, causing his hand to move away, the breath released from his puffed up cheeks turning a simple _'achu-'_ into a spluttering

_ **‘A-! CHBLUUUUBBBBBHHH!’** _

The silence was almost mocking.

Sniffing wetly, Noctis carried on, unable to do much else. He didn’t want to stay in the dark, so he had to keep moving. His heart was thudding quickly now, panic trying to worm its way into his mind. The dark felt like it was pressing in. He was cold. He was shaking. Pain in his knees and elbows and across his head making it worse. He wanted to be warm. He wanted to be out. He wanted home. He wanted…  
_‘Dad…’_  
Noctis whimpered, his footsteps slowing as hot tears started falling across his still chubby cheeks, he was older, he shouldn’t be scared of silly things like the dark anymore, but he was, no matter what he said to Ignis when Noctis was shaking from a nightmare and had called in his friend in fright. He wasn’t scared of monsters he would tell Gladio, puffing out his chest with all the pride an eleven year old could muster.

But he was lying to the large shield in training who just got larger while Noctis stayed small. He was lying when he said the marilith didn’t still invade his dreams, he was lying when he says ‘it’s nothing’ to his retainers when he swears he sees things move in the shadows. Sees things chase after him in the dark.

_*ting…*_

Snapped out of his thoughts, Noctis looked up. A sound had echoed through the mote filled tunnel, ringing through the darkness. Lost in his thoughts he had only half heard it. He was unsure as to whether he had imagined it, wanted so badly for anything to change from the cold journey he had been on for an unfathomable amount of time that he had conjured up the sound.

_*..ting...*_

That he’d heard. It sounded like metal, metal hitting stone. Flashes of swords crunching metal ripped through Noctis’ already fear-soaked mind and he found himself halting again, turning quickly behind himself to see only the dark pressing in, a force declaring that there was no going back, before facing forward again. Swallowing a whimper he shuffled forward again. Any joy that might have sparked at the realisation that the soft blue light was getting brighter was crushed as the sounds of metal shook through the air once more as though something large was shuffling around.

Images of dragons sweeping across mounds of treasure rose in Noctis’ mind, scatterings from his Father’s feary tales he told him before bed, or that he used to tell him. His Father had been rather…busy of late.

No time for a whingey eleven year old still scared of the dark.

Wiping his nose of snot with the back of his hand, Noctis stepped forward a little quicker. No matter what he had to press on, no matter what happened. He just hoped if he found someone, they could give him some help.

To be honest, that was not what he found.

The light got slightly brighter, but not by much. The tunnel opened up into a low ceilinged antechamber, with blue lit pools of still water beneath. Noctis gasped as he shuffled closer, the clear water revealed the myriad of corals that grew in the pools, their colours vivid in the low light, reds muted and greens vibrant, the coral swayed minutely but try as he might Noctis couldn’t see the reason for the light.

It was clearly emanating from the water, but how it was left him baffled. So baffled in fact that Noctis didn’t notice when something moved in the pool just slightly behind him.  
The jingle of metal so close to him, startled Noctis to turn to the pool to see only ripples on the water. Breathing carefully, he moved towards the new pool, but looking in was met with only coral, lazily swaying, undisturbed by whatever had been there before.

Breath coming faster now, soft blue light bringing his wide eyes into sharp relief, Noctis span around checking every pool in the small room with expectation of an attack, the soft glowing water so much more sinister in its stillness now. Slowly he stepped back, damn the darkness, he’ll just run back; maybe he’ll find how he got here and find his way out.

Eyes darting between the pools, backing up Noctis didn’t notice the pool he had passed as he had entered the room, his foot caught on the edge and with windmilling arms and an undignified squeal, he fell into the strangely warm water.

Blue light like fireflies zipped across his sight as he fell further down into the surprisingly deep pool, coral and rocks with clear gem ores glistening in the changing light silently watched his progress, shocked into realisation, Noctis shook himself, kicking his feet to try and make it to the surface. The bottom of the pool was shrouded in darkness and Noctis tried not to think about how it had looked like it was shifting.

Lungs burning Noctis kept kicking, reaching out for a surface that seemed to simply drag further and further away, it took too long for Noctis to realise he was sinking, his efforts only tiring himself. Desperate to breath he kept thrashing amongst the fireflies, why wasn’t he moving? Why wasn’t the surface getting closer?

_Dad please help me!_

But rather than his Father’s calm smile and strong arms bringing him away from this drowning nightmare he only saw something that glittered in the slight blue light. Darkness encroached on his vision and he choked involuntarily, water flooding into his mouth and down his throat before he could think, his lungs drawing it deep into his chest. Eyes widening in realisation as his oxygen starved body jerked violently in a last attempt to break a surface so far above him…

  


_ I’m…scared… _  


  


………………………………………..  


Opening his eyes felt like the hardest thing he ever had to do, were he in bed, he’d have snuggled into his many blankets and slept away the day, but he wasn’t. The ground was hard beneath him and scratchy, and he was cold, oh so _cold._

So he had to open his eyes and it was then he was aware of the pain that racked through his body, it felt like being crushed, his lungs ached and his throat felt ripped open and raw. Blinking open his eyes carefully, he coughed, groaning sadly at the fresh pain that rippled through him at the action before become aware of his surroundings.

He was back on the surface and the pool glowed ominously before him. Whimpering in fear he shuffled away as best he could, not wanting to risk being anywhere nea-

‘Easy, buddy. Unless you want another dip?’

A cold hand pressed against his back carefully, but solidly and Noctis froze. The voice had echoed slightly in the cave and every movement of the...someone behind him gave the sound of rippling water that he had heard before as well as the jingle of metal.

Turning quickly, Noctis yelped in surprise as the glimpse of blue skin was suddenly surrounded by a black oily substance that shifted like oil before disappearing into the pool. Peering into the water Noctis saw nothing to reveal where…whatever it was had gone.

‘Best not look bud. Best if you didn’t.’ came the echoed voice behind him once more.

‘My na-‘ Noctis coughed before groaning once more, ‘Noctis. My name is Noctis, not bud.’

There was silence before water sloshed behind Noctis, the sound of jingling metal creating an echoed sound around him before a snort startled him and that’s when Noctis realised.

Whatever this creature was, it was damn well laughing at him.  
Slapping his hand on the ground with all the energy he could muster, Noctis huffed before coughing again.

‘I..What’s so funny?’ he choked.

‘Nothin’’ the being snorted.

‘You were laughing.’

‘I was.’

‘At me.’

‘I was.’

The bluntness made Noctis blink, but then his ire mounted and he span back round, holding down the yelp as the black oil swirled violently again into the pool.

….  


‘Thought I said don’t look bud-…Noctis.’

Noctis huffed as the voice appeared behind him once more, trying vainly to clear his throat.

‘Why not?’ he croaked, ‘Why can’t I see you?’

Just a jingling of metal answered his question and Noctis sighed heavily, aware that his body was starting to shake.

It was so cold.

He didn’t know if this person could help him get home. But it saved him, so…maybe it was worth the chance?

‘How about you?’ he asked.

A ripple of water.

‘Me, what?’

Noctis coughed again, whimpering again as pain went through him. The creature was patient, waiting for Noctis to recover.

‘What’s…what’s your name?’

‘….’

‘Noctis, you’re going to get hyperthermia, your body is too cold.’ Came the answer, eventually. Noctis rolled his eyes, before turning towards the voice to retort to the dumb obviousness of the statement and to stop avoiding the damn question! When the rush of darkness and slash of water roared through the cave again.

Growling in frustration, Noctis coughed violently again, tears falling from his eyes the only warmth afforded to him in the cold.

‘Stop it! You’re being silly!’ he cried, unable to sound like the Prince he know he should, but as the scared eleven year old he actually was.

‘You’re the one who fell into the pool, I’ll say you’re the silly one here.’

‘I didn’t mean to! You scared me!’

‘Says the brat in my home.’

‘I didn’t mean to!’ Noctis was openly crying now, looking up at the ceiling watching the light reflect water patterns on the rocks, ‘I don’t…I don’t know how I got here! I just- I just want to go home!’

Covering his eyes with a shaking hand, Noctis couldn’t stop the despair that fell over him. The pain just intensified with every shuddering breath and the cold made everything worse. Noctis didn’t hear the shuffling approaching him, but the jingle of metal so close to his ear made him startle, wide eyes staring at the face that had appeared in front of him.

Noctis’ breath shuddered out at the sight. The creatures face was softly looking at him with bright blue eyes, deep violet closer to the pupil. Noctis’ eyes traced the sharp features before being drawn to the glistening of gold chains that cascaded past its face, following them up to where they pierced the surprising normal looking ears before leading further up into fair hair, lacing into a clearly not normal pair of white bone horns that curled around its skull. The darkness that had surrounded it so easily now wrapped curious tendrils around its face and down its shoulders. The creatures fine eyebrows furrowed at Noctis’ lack of response.

‘Didn’t want you to get nightmares Noct,’ it whispered as explanation.

Noctis nodded, swallowing an uncomfortable lump in his throat as the tendrils wrapped around Noctis, surprisingly warm, but then again, he was certain anything would feel warm as he was.

‘Get home. I can send you.’

Noctis managed to finally find his voice as the creature pulled away, reaching up to its chains and pulling a pendant off with a ringing chime.

‘Won’t you be alone?’ he stammered.

The creature blinked in surprise at the statement before smiling, revealing sharpened teeth.

‘You wanna stay, Noct?’

Fear cut through Noctis, he didn’t want to stay, but the creature had saved him and thought of it alone made him sad. He wanted to help, but he wanted to go home…

Suddenly the creature laughed. A high note that echoed off the glittering walls. Noctis lay on the floor, studying what he could of the creature’s face, wondering if he’d made a mistake and he was going to be eaten after all. Eventually the laugh petered out and the creature looked down with a serene smile.

‘I’ll be fine,’ the creature moved forward, pressing the pendant in Noctis’ hand ‘though the sentiment, is appreciated. Maybe one day you’ll find your way back here…or not. Goodbye, Noctis. The name’s Prompto…it was nice to meet you.’

Blinking, Noctis opened his mouth to retort only to be cut off with a yelp as he was pushed into the water once more. The water before strangely warm now viciously cold against his skin, cutting like knives against him. He kicked again, desperate to not relive the feeling of drowning again unaware of the pendant that had wrapped around his wrist slowly glowing in the darkening water.

  


  


…….  


‘Get another blanket! Astrals, Noctis! Open your eyes son! Noctis!’

The cacophony of sounds assaulted Noctis’ ears, pounding into his head, his body screaming at him as he shivered violently. Rain poured over him, the floor soft and wet beneath him.

Sand. It was sand.

Warm hands gripped Noctis’ shoulders as the voice trickled into his understanding. Opening his eyes Noctis was greeted to the panicked face of his Father, whose countenance broke into a grateful smile at the first sight of his son’s blue eyes.

‘Dad?’ he croaked, his body so very tired.

‘Noct!’ the relived exclamation, broke through Noctis’ thoughts and he started crying as his Father wrapped him up in his strong arms pressing him gratefully to his chest.

Who had known a fishing trip could go so wrong? When Noctis had fallen off the boat amongst the rocks he had thought his world ended, but by a miracle they had found the collapsed Prince, clinging to the edge of a coral ridge, shivering violently, clutching a small pendant tightly as though his life depended on it.


End file.
